The 25 Best Chrome Extensions for Productivity in 2026 (Tested and Ranked)

# The 25 Best Chrome Extensions for Productivity in 2026 (Tested and Ranked)

I have a confession. For years I thought productivity extensions were a gimmick. Then I installed a tab manager, and suddenly my browser stopped being a disaster zone. That one change saved me more time than any productivity app I have ever paid for.

This list is the result of testing over sixty extensions across a few weeks. I ranked the twenty five that genuinely changed how I work. No filler, no sponsored picks, just tools that earn their place.

How I Tested

Every extension on this list had to survive the same test: I used it for at least a week in real work. It had to load fast, not break my workflow, and do something no other extension could do as well. Extensions that were slow, buggy or redundant got cut.

Tab Management

### 1. OneTab

OneTab collapses all your open tabs into a single list. You click it, your fifty tabs become a clean page of links, and your RAM usage drops dramatically. Restoring individual tabs or the whole session takes one click. It is free, simple and essential.

### 2. Workona

Workona organises tabs into workspaces for different projects. Each workspace keeps its own set of tabs, so switching between "client work" and "research" does not mean losing your place. The free tier covers the basics well.

### 3. Session Buddy

Session Buddy saves complete browser sessions and lets you search through them. It is perfect for people who research across weeks and need to find that one tab from last month.

### 4. Toby

Toby replaces new tabs with a visual workspace where you drag and drop links into collections. It turns your new tab page into an organised hub instead of a blank slate.

Focus and Distraction Control

### 5. Forest

Forest plants a virtual tree when you start a focus session. If you visit a blocked site, the tree dies. It sounds silly, but the guilt is a powerful motivator. I have grown a forest and finished a lot of work because of it.

### 6. Freedom

Freedom blocks distracting websites and apps across all your devices, not just your browser. The paid plan is worth it if you genuinely struggle with social media.

### 7. StayFocusd

StayFocusd limits how much time you can spend on specific sites each day. Once your allowance runs out, the sites are blocked until midnight. The nuclear option of focus tools.

### 8. LeechBlock

LeechBlock is a free open-source alternative with powerful scheduling. You can block sites at certain times of day, which is perfect for separating work hours from breaks.

Notes and Writing

### 9. Notion Web Clipper

If you use Notion, this clipper is essential. It saves articles, images and web pages straight into your Notion workspace with one click. The saved content stays readable forever.

### 10. Obsidian Web Clipper

The Obsidian clipper sends web content to your Obsidian vault, where you can link it with your notes. For knowledge workers, this turns the browser into an input device for your personal knowledge base.

### 11. Grammarly

Grammarly checks your writing everywhere: emails, forms, social media, documents. The free version catches the embarrassing mistakes, and the premium suggestions for tone and clarity are genuinely useful. See the [Grammarly extension page](https://singletabbrowser.com/extension/grammarly) for details.

### 12. LanguageTool

LanguageTool is the best free alternative to Grammarly. It supports over thirty languages and catches grammar and style issues that Grammarly misses. Worth installing just for the multilingual support.

Automation and Shortcuts

### 13. Tampermonkey

Tampermonkey runs user scripts on websites. The possibilities are endless: auto-filling forms, removing elements, adding shortcuts to sites that lack them. It is the most powerful extension on this list, and also the most dangerous in the wrong hands. Use it carefully.

### 14. Auto Text Expander

Typing the same response for the hundredth time? Auto Text Expander replaces shortcuts with full text. Type ";ty" and get your address, your email signature, or that long explanation you paste every day.

### 15. Shortkeys

Shortkeys lets you assign custom keyboard shortcuts to any action in the browser. Open your most used sites with two keystrokes. Once you get used to it, the browser feels twice as fast.

Reading and Research

### 16. Dark Reader

Dark Reader forces dark mode on every website. It reduces eye strain during long reading sessions and saves battery on OLED screens. The per-site brightness and contrast controls make it comfortable on any display. Check the [dark mode extensions list](https://singletabbrowser.com/best/dark-mode-extensions) for more options.

### 17. Readwise Reader

Readwise Reader is a read-it-later app with a beautiful reading experience. It saves articles, PDFs and tweets, and its highlighting syncs to your notes. The free tier is limited but generous.

### 18. Full Page Screen Capture

This extension captures an entire web page as a single image, even if it is several screens long. Perfect for saving receipts, sharing layouts or keeping a visual record of a page. The [screenshot extensions list](https://singletabbrowser.com/best/screenshot-extensions) has more options.

Password and Security

### 19. Bitwarden

Bitwarden is the best password manager for most people. It is open source, the free tier is genuinely useful, and it works on every platform. Auto-fill and auto-save make it invisible in daily use. Read the [Bitwarden extension page](https://singletabbrowser.com/extension/bitwarden) for details.

### 20. uBlock Origin

uBlock Origin is the gold standard ad blocker. It blocks ads, trackers and malware domains while using remarkably few resources. It is free, open source and actively maintained. The [ad blocker comparison](https://singletabbrowser.com/best/ad-blockers) on our site covers it in detail.

### 21. Privacy Badger

Privacy Badger from the EFF automatically blocks invisible trackers. It learns as you browse and gets smarter over time. Pair it with uBlock Origin for solid baseline privacy.

Email and Communication

### 22. Mailtrack

Mailtrack adds read receipts to Gmail. It shows exactly when your emails are opened, which is genuinely useful for work follow-ups. The free version adds a small signature, which is a fair trade.

### 23. Simplify Gmail

Simplify Gmail strips away the clutter and gives you a clean, minimal inbox. It is perfect for people who find the default Gmail interface overwhelming.

Extras That Earn Their Place

### 24. Honey

Honey automatically applies coupon codes at checkout across thousands of stores. The savings are real, and it works silently in the background. The [shopping extensions](https://singletabbrowser.com/) category on our site has more money-saving tools.

### 25. Momentum

Momentum replaces your new tab page with a beautiful dashboard: a photo, a to-do list, a daily focus and a clock. It is a small thing, but starting every new tab with a clear focus has genuinely changed how I structure my day.

The Final Verdict

If you only install five extensions from this list, make them OneTab, uBlock Origin, Bitwarden, Dark Reader and Grammarly. That combination covers tabs, ads, security, comfort and writing — the five biggest time sinks in any browser.

For the complete directory with ratings, screenshots and pros and cons for every extension mentioned here, visit [SingleTab Browser](https://singletabbrowser.com/). The [best productivity Chrome extensions](https://singletabbrowser.com/best/productivity-extensions) page is a great starting point.